The current max setting is 2 TB. SQL Server could potentially starve the OS. You really do need to change that setting. Depending on what other software is running on the server (AV, other application software, etc) you should set it to something less than 32 GB. If the only thing running is SQL Server (and maybe AV), I would probably set it to 28 GB. That will leave 4 GB for the OS .

Thanks for the reply, I do have admin access to database but limited access to OS(log folders and Data folders). If I make any changes to less than 32GB will that effect any where like do I need to restart any services or OS.... I am doing the same server for sharepoint portal ...

Jayanth_Kurup (3/12/2012)Would 4 GB on OS RAM be sufficent for a database being used with sharepoint ?

Depends on what else is installed on the server and how much memory there is in total. If there's nothing other than SQL Server on that machine and there's 32 GB physical memory then 4GB is certainly adequate and probably generous. If the sharepoint frontend is on the same server (so IIS and the web application) then the SQL max memory needs to be lowered to allow the 4GB for the OS and whatever IIS needs.

2) For 32GB system with JUST sql server running I would start at 27GB and monitor for execessive paging and go up or down from there. The more things you have running the lower you will need to drop the memory. Remember, max mem setting just controls the sql server BUFFER POOL - there are MANY other buckets of memory sql will use that are NOT constrained by that number.

As I am already holding data in that database server, If I change that to lets say 27GB then do I need to restart any thing like service or database or any other to make this change effected. this change will effect any thing on the existing data.... no right?